The Game is Afoot

The Game is Afoot

Celebrate the 130th Anniversary of Sherlock Holmes

The first Sherlock Holmes story was published in December of 1887 and, as evidenced by the popularity of the BBC’s show Sherlock, he still resonates with us today. Have you read all the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories? These nonfiction and pastiche titles will hit the spot for Sherlock Holmes fans who want to celebrate the “birth” of our favorite consulting detective.

Arthur and Sherlock: Conan Doyle and the Creation of Holmes by Michael Sims – This fairly short and quick nonfiction book traces Conan Doyle’s life and work from his childhood through the end of the Sherlock Holmes stories but with an emphasis on the publication of the stories and additional information on other people involved in the process of getting Sherlock to the masses.

The Big Book of Sherlock Holmes – This massive work contains 83 Sherlock stories that have been published in the last 130 years. It includes well-known Sherlockian writers like Laurie R. King, as well as Conan Doyle’s own parodies and parodies from his contemporaries. Other famous sleuths such as Dupin and Poirot make occasional appearances as well.

A Study in Sherlock – This anthology of 16 stories featuring Sherlock Holmes contains works from authors as disparate as Jacqueline Winspear and Neil Gaiman, so there should be something to appeal to every Sherlock fan.

In the Company of Sherlock Holmes – An anthology like A Study in Sherlock, this one only has two stories featuring the detective while the rest showcase characters taking on elements of Sherlock’s personality or methods. These stories will make a reader decide just exactly what it is that makes Sherlock, Sherlock.

The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Want your Sherlock on the paranormal side? This anthology gives many new Sherlock stories with a supernatural twist. This anthology contains more stories than A Study in Sherlock but less than The Big Book of Sherlock Holmes for those readers looking for a middle ground. There are stories by Stephen King, Anne Perry, Peter Tremayne and many others.

Sherlock Holmes: The American Years – These 10 stories show a younger Sherlock before he dedicated his life to being a consulting detective and follow our favorite sleuth as he visits the United States. These stories are as varied as the authors who wrote them, such as Mark Twain and Rhys Bowen.